


all this distance between us

by joshllyman



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Gen, hands you some feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:27:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26392630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joshllyman/pseuds/joshllyman
Summary: “You can't avoid it forever,” he observes, a small smile in his features.“Sure I can!” Suga decides, grinning. “I'm Peter Pan, Asahi, I'll never grow up!”
Relationships: Azumane Asahi & Sawamura Daichi & Sugawara Koushi
Comments: 7
Kudos: 25





	all this distance between us

**Author's Note:**

> This was my piece for Ukiyo: A Pretty Setters zine. I was so grateful and honored to be a part of this project!! Check out the beautiful accompanying art for this piece [here](https://twitter.com/loreneas_art/status/1304028402412851200?s=20). Thanks Lore!!

The air is cold against Suga’s back, even through the layers of coats Asahi had insisted they all wear. It brings a chill to their bones that’s uncomfortable, but not unbearable. It seems appropriate, anyway; the mood between the three of them has been melancholy all day, even though Daichi’s birthday is tomorrow and Asahi’s is the day after. They’ll spend those days together, too, as they’ve spent today, as they've spent countless days of break before. There's a finality in the way the three of them shuffle alongside each other to the park at the top of the hill, so quiet that only the scuff of shoes and their synchronized breathing can be heard.

“So are we allowed to talk about it now?” Asahi asks as they approach the park. Suga can see the swingset, and rather than answer Asahi's question, they take off running as quickly as they can to claim the swing in the middle, the one that sits slightly higher than the other two. Behind them, Daichi laughs and Asahi shouts, "No fair, Suga, you didn't even warn us!" 

Suga throws themself at the swing and turns around to offer Asahi a stuck-out tongue as they begin pumping their legs back and forth. Daichi and Asahi join Suga, each claiming a swing on either side of them, and for a few moments no one speaks. Suga listens to the creaking of the metal, the air whooshing past their ears, the way Asahi hums quietly to himself “Auld Lang Syne," which bubbles up from his throat in a slightly tuneless way. Daichi swings, but Asahi’s feet stay on the ground. Suga meets his eyes on their next pass, intent and patient, and finds they can’t look away.

“You can't avoid it forever,” he observes, a small smile in his features. 

“Sure I can!” Suga decides, grinning. “I'm Peter Pan, Asahi, I'll never grow up!”

Asahi keeps staring at them in that forgiving way, and Suga slows with a sigh, letting their legs fall still, letting the swing come back to its resting spot. Beside them, Daichi does the same.

“I don't want to have to think about it,” Suga mumbles. “Volleyball will be over soon enough, and then the school year, and then what? One of us in Tokyo, one of us here, and one of us in between? The rest of our lives with all this distance between us?”

“You don't think you're getting ahead of yourself at least a little bit?” Daichi asks gently. “You sound more like Asahi than yourself.”

Asahi huffs and folds his arms across his chest. “I wasn't going to say any of that.”

Suga grins at him. “Weren't you?”

“No!” Asahi cries. “I was just going to tell you both how much I've loved playing volleyball with you, but since you had to go and ruin it …”

Daichi laughs and reaches across Suga to shake Asahi’s shoulder. “Tell us, Asahi!”

“I'll punch him if he says anything mean, Asahi,” Suga says, curling up a fist and waving it threateningly in Daichi’s direction. Daichi seems unfazed.

“I  _ have _ loved playing with you both the last three years,” Asahi says. “You made me stronger, both of you. When we're playing, of course, but when we're not, too. You're good friends, and I’m going to miss you when you both go off to university.”

Silence pierces the evening. Suga's hand drops limply to their side, unused. 

“Ah, Asahi,” Daichi says, looking determinedly away from him. “You're too sincere.”

“I thought that was a good thing?” Asahi questions, and Suga reaches across to touch his knee.

“It is,” they assure him. “Daichi's just afraid of all emotions.”

“Am not!” Daichi argues, and when he turns back there’s unshed tears in his eyes. He looks red in the face. “I'll even go next. You're my two best friends and I wouldn't trade you for anyone, got it?”

Suga giggles helplessly. “Wow, Daichi. So heartfelt, and yet so threatening.”

Daichi goes redder still, and Asahi joins in Suga’s glee. 

“I can’t believe I came out in the cold to be treated like this,” Daichi grumbles. “I take back what I said. You’re the worst friends ever.”

“Oh, hush,” Suga says, laughter still flowing out of them like water. “You couldn’t get rid of us if you tried.”

Daichi gripes some more as Asahi and Suga calm back down, and even more when they catch each other’s eyes and burst into laughter again. After a calmer moment has finally passed, Asahi looks at Suga, one eyebrow raised in expectation. Suga shrinks in on themself under his resolute gaze.

“You’re gonna make me say nice stuff about the two of you now, right?” they question. 

Asahi shrugs and kicks at the rocks beneath his feet. “Only if you want to.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to,” Suga protests, frustration seeping into their voice. “It’s just that … I’m not ready for this part of my life to be over yet. I’m not ready for my time with you two to be over. You’re two of the best things that have ever happened to me and I … ”

Their voice breaks. They shake their head and bite their lip to keep from crying .

“I don’t want to lose you,” they manage, their voice small.

Asahi stands suddenly and comes behind Suga, wrapping them up in his arms. Suga turns and buries their head in his coat, willing away the tears that threaten to spill from their eyes. Daichi reaches over and takes Suga's hands, squeezing them tightly in his own. 

“I'll come visit,” Asahi promises, his voice slightly muffled by Suga's hair. "As often as I can.” 

“We both will,” Daichi agrees. “You’re in between the two of us anyway, so we’ll come to you.”

“You’ll get too busy,” argues Suga. “We’ll all be too busy studying and working.”

Daichi frowns at them and laces their fingers together. “Do you really think we won’t make time for you? For each other? Suga, you know us better than that.”

Suga sniffles and takes one hand back from Daichi to wipe at their eyes. “It won’t be the same,” they mumble. “We won’t see each other every day at practice, we won’t be in the same classes, we won’t be playing volleyball anymore.”

“Of course it won’t be the same,” Asahi says, his voice even. “If everything were the same all the time, life would get boring, Suga. You’d hate that more than anyone.”

Suga pulls away from Asahi and looks up at him, half their mouth quirking up in a tiny smile. “When did you get so wise, anyway?”

Asahi considers this, his eyes going unfocused for a moment before he blinks and returns to Suga. He’s still thoughtful as he says, “I’ve spent a lot of time listening to you.”

“Oh,” Suga whispers. Tears leak from their eyes again, and they turn toward Daichi to try to hide them. Daichi catches it and groans Asahi’s name in his most exasperated tone, which makes Suga laugh, even through their sobs. 

“You’re the sweetest person I’ve ever met, Asahi,” Suga says, looking back and reaching up to pat Asahi’s arm. “I’m very lucky to call you my friend.”

“Ah,” Asahi says, his face darkening into an inevitable blush. “Suga. That’s very kind.”

“And you, Daichi.” They turn to him, gripping his hand a little tighter. “You’re the most grounded, level-headed person I know. You keep me sane, and I appreciate our friendship more than I can say.”

Daichi’s silent for a moment, his jaw tense, and Asahi leans down and stage-whispers into Suga’s ear, “If you look closely, you can see him trying not to explode from the feelings.”

There’s a moment of silence where Daichi is so clearly trying not to prove Asahi right, working the muscles in his mouth, and then the tension cracks and all hell breaks loose.

“Asahi!” Daichi shouts, and Asahi and Suga cackle. Asahi has to run, then, because Daichi stands and goes for him, and Suga watches as the two of them chase each other around the swingset, their laughter echoing across the park and ringing right down into Suga’s soul. 

It’s cold outside, but Suga’s warm. Warmed by the love of their friends, by the strength of the companionship between the three of them. Warmed by everything they’ve been through together, by the promise of the future, and by the layers of coats Asahi had insisted they all wear.

**Author's Note:**

> [check out my socials here](joshllyman.carrd.co)


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